Implicit Social Cognition Lab
Welcome
Our work shines a light on unspoken assumptions about social groups, often called implicit stereotypes or biases, and the ways in which they impact people’s evaluations of, and actions toward, others. We also examine how implicit biases influence people's self-perceptions, performance, and academic and career choices. We are particularly interested in the plasticity of implicit bias—the ways in which changes in social contexts change implicit attitudes, beliefs, and behavior.
The research we do is translational—moving back-and-forth between controlled lab experiments and naturalistic field studies, so that knowledge from all sources enriches theory development. We are interested in translating the deliverables from our research to inform social problems such as employment discrimination, educational disparities in science, engineering, and mathematics, and the underrepresentation of women and ethnic minorities in professional leadership roles.
Below are four major themes that guide our research.
Research
Our research has uncovered immense plasticity in people’s implicit attitudes toward social groups in response to small changes in local environments.
Our new work shines a light on what types of classroom contexts inoculate adolescents against negative stereotypes in science and math classes.
Promoting the success of underrepresented students in STEM
We develop evidence-based interventions in academic environments that increase social belonging, promote confidence, and increase student retention in STEM.
Negative emotions magnify implicit bias
Emotions like anger and disgust magnify implicit bias against real and fictitious groups.